Dave Smith Instruments Evolver

Released in 2002, Evolver is the first instrument to come from Dave Smith Instruments.
Dave Smith is considered a legendary figure in the
synthesizer world, he founded Sequential Circuits and designed such
classics as the Prophet 5 and
Prophet VS, and he was a pioneer in bringing MIDI to
synthesizers. After a stint working in Software Synthesis for Seer
Systems, Dave collaborated with Roger Linn on the Adrenalinn, and then
officially came back to the world of hardware synthesizers. And the
world was happy to find him back designing synths for a new generation
of players - starting with Evolver!

So, there's no keyboard on this thing! Well, it's a hands-on desktop
sound module and audio processor. The Evolver is a true analog
synthesizer that incorporates many of Dave and Sequential's old
secrets, circuits and technologies. It's monophonic
with four oscillators - two analog DCOs and two digital - it's a true
analog/digital hybrid synth. The analog oscillators feature multiple classic waveforms plus pulse-width
modulation and hard sync, and they sound really nice and big. The
digital oscillators feature FM synthesis, Ring Modulation and 96
wavetables straight out of the Prophet VS
(plus 32 user wavetables, loaded via MIDI software editors such as Motu
Unisyn).

Evolver also features two Curtis voltage-controlled analog low-pass
filters which are fully resonant and switchable for two- or four-pole
operation, two digital highpass filters and real analog VCAs. Modulation
capabilities are handled by four LFOs and three ADSR envelope generators
(for the filter, the amp, and one is user assignable). There are dedicated
onboard effects (feedback, delay, distortion, glide, etc.). Stereo audio
inputs let you process external audio through the Evolver's filters,
envelopes, LFOs and effects.

One of its coolest features is the MIDI-syncable 16-step, 4-parameter,
analog-style sequencer (with each patch able to store its own sequence) which
really brings the Evolver to life with animated evolving sounds. The
LFOs, step sequencer, and three separate delays can all be synced for
massive, rhythmic, time-based effects in stereo. As for programming and
tweaking all these functions, Evolver's easy-to-navigate matrix-style
interface allows for quick editing and real-time control of 8 parameters
simultaneously.

A major unique feature of the Evolver is that although it is monophonic,
it has a true stereo signal path. The reason many things come in multiples of two
here is because each channel gets its own independent analog
oscillator, lowpass filter, highpass filter, VCA and effects. It's sort of
like two independent synths - one on the left and another on the right. This
allows for pretty nice stereo imaging effects not possible with most
other mono-monophonic synths. Some of the factory patches will make your
jaw drop - sometimes it's really hard to believe it has only a single
voice!

It's no surprise the Evolver was a hit when it came out. There just are
no other modern analog-digital synthesizers in its price range, it
sounds wonderful, and is one of those synths that has no real need for
external effects or sweetening. Evolver literally is a rebirth of the
best of Sequential Circuits, updated to meet the needs of today's
musicians. The internal computer and DSP chips can be reprogrammed via
MIDI, for easy bug fixes, OS updates and feature additions. Other forms
of the Evolver that have evolved: Mono Evolver
(a keyboard version), Poly Evolver (a polyphonic
keyboard version), and Poly Evolver Rack (a
polyphonic rack module).

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